Hachioji City; Sharing Efforts Against the Garbage Problems

Held the stakeholder meeting with local officials in Chuuk Province

Hachioji City is working on the garbage problems improvement under the JICA grassroots technical cooperation projects. We held the stakeholder meeting on the 31st of July 2018 during the second dispatch. Participants from the local were a total of 14 people who were representatives from the provincial government's Environmental Protection Bureau, Transport Public Works Bureau, Sanitary Bureau, Insurance Bureau, Tourism Bureau, Weno Island Office, and local NGOs. From Hachioji City side, six people including representatives from Soka University, our collaborator, attended.

Lively exchange of opinions was conducted in the group discussions

Group discussions

After breaking the ice with self-introduction, participants were divided into two groups and they started discussions. In the first half, they shared current and future problems in waste disposal, exchanged opinions on the issues of the landfill disposal site, its remaining years, and the suitable location of the future disposal site. And then they discussed the significance and pros and cons of the bill to ban the use and import of plastic containers and packaging including plastic bags in progress at the Chuuk Legislature.

Posted their opinions on sticky notes

The second half of the meeting after break, the students of Soka University gave a presentation to show Japanese effort for 2R (Reduce, Reuse) , then participants started discussion again and exchanged their opinions what they can by themselves to reduce the consumption plastic bags in Weno. In the discussion about how to reduce using plastic bags, many participants had the opinion that the enforcement was important to work the bill effectively. On the other hand, there was an opposite opinion because it's inconvenient without plastic bags.

Understanding the transition of Japan's garbage problem with video

At the beginning of the meeting, we screened two JICA-Net multimedia materials for 30 minutes. The multimedia material we screened first, "Technical Expertise of Japan in Solid Waste Management" shows looking back on the garbage problems in Tokyo from the end of World War II to the present age. Tokyo has dramatically transformed from the burnt-out ruins into the Metropolis with a population of 12 million people after World War II. This multimedia material introduces 'Technical Expertise of Japan' for solutions of garbage problems and it tells us what kind of measures Japanese government, businesses and public had taken in order to reduce the amount of garbage that has continued to increase with economic growth. "Japan's Experience in Promoting 3R's" we screened next explains the steps necessary to build a 'Recycling Society'. Promoting 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) is indispensable to establish sustainable production-consumption pattern. This multimedia material describes how was trial and error until Japan find this 3R strategy, how has Japan confronted and struggled with garbage problems that occurred one after another. Case studies in developing countries with modernization in recent years are also introduced.

Participants watching the video materia

All of participant's eyes were glued to the video. They have their own backgrounds, and their knowledge about garbage issues varies for each person. Therefore, sharing the recognition of the garbage problem at the beginning of the meeting was very effective for the subsequent discussion.

Kenichi Maekawa
Refuse Reduction Control Section
Resource Circulation Division
Hachioji City Office, Tokyo

*The Material(s) mainly applied

Technical Expertise of Japan in Solid Waste Management

The technology of Japan's solid waste management has started to improve public health since the restructuring period after WWII. Japan has completed its incineration and reclamation technology, after repeated trial and error. The next step has involved studies designed to bring about a recycling society. This material introduces the efforts made by administrations, citizens, and businesses. Also, this material is designed to make people understand the fact that Japan once had the same problem with managing solid waste that developing countries are facing at present. But Japan has overcome such difficulties. Here, people can be sure that they also can improve their situation in developing countries, by learning of the measures taken by Japan to improve its situation.

• YouTube (external link)

Japan's Experience in Promoting 3R's

The purpose of this learning material is utilization for human resource development regarding waste management of 3R (Reduce, Reuse, Recycle) as one of the activity of JICA's distance technical cooperation. Targeted audience are administrative officials in central/local government, members of NGO and private sector. In developing countries which have restriction on natural resources, it is necessary to reduce the amount of waste in order to realize the optimized waste management and promoting the 3R would be the key factor. Moreover, this material introduces Japan approach on waste management and case studies in developing countries. Therefore, this movie material can be used for fostering common understanding and dissemination of 3R.

*This material is limited viewing to people who are engaged in JICA's projects. For more information, please contact us through JICA-Net Library Desk (eitpl-jicanet@jica.go.jp).